There's a Mouse in the House
by CoffeeAndCroissants
Summary: There's an unwelcome intruder in the Headquarters and L & Light are the only ones around to deal with it. Occurs during the Era of the Chain.


**Disclaimer****: I don't own Death Note. You know, because this site is called FANfiction. Just thought I'd put it out there, because I forgot to mention it in my first Fanfic. Actually, while I'm here, I don't own any of the fandoms I've written about. Save me writing it at the top of every story, yeah?**

"Can you see it, Light-kun?" L asked anxiously.

"No, I've lost it...actually, it's under here, I think..." Light kneeled down and squinted under the filing cabinet. It was dusty down on the floor, Light reflected, he must give it a going over with the hoover some day-

"Aha! I see it!" Light exclaimed triumphantly, spotting movement in the shadows. "Now I just need to get it out somehow..." Light considered his options. He could encourage the mouse to leave its refuge, or let it come out of its own accord. He personally was in favour of getting the job done sooner rather than later. He decided that it would be best to poke it with something flat, which would fit in the small space between the cabinet and the floor. Really, it was remarkable how a mouse could even fit in there. "Ryuzaki, can you throw me a ruler?" Light called over.

L was cowering as far away from Light as the chain would permit-he seemed to have an extreme aversion to small pests. To be honest, Light hated them too, but L and Light were the only ones left in the building for the night and the mouse had to be got rid of. Looking after oneself was a necessary evil that L hadn't mastered quite yet.

Light received the ruler and slid it smoothly to the back of the filing cabinet, where the mouse was currently residing. It shot off with a squeak. As it emerged, Light made a dive for it that caused L, a metre and a bit behind him, to lurch forward, tripping over his own feet. "Damn chain," Light muttered as he sped around the research room after the mouse, L dragged in his wake.

"Light-kun," L wailed, "Do we have to do this? Can't we all just mutually reach a consensus to end this folly and retire for the evening? Or call Watari?" L was sure to engage his abandoned puppy expression.

Light grunted in reply, "I don't think this pesky mouse is in the mood for negotiation, Ryuzaki."

L sighed inwardly. All he wanted was to be nestled up in the warm cocoon of his bed, perhaps with a packet of mint Aero Bubbles, and listen to the steady rhythm of Light-kun's breathing. That situation sounded so unbelievably relaxing that L felt himself falling asleep where he stood.

Light, however, had just been struck by sudden inspiration. The mouse had taken refuge behind a pile of boxes stuffed precariously full of papers. Light calculated that from his current position, he could trap the mouse once it escaped. But to do that he would need-

"Ryuzaki, go get me your tennis racquet," Light ordered.

L's eyes grew very big. "What..?"

"I'm gonna smash this mouse into the next world," Light explained with grim satisfaction.

The next world... L mulled over that for a moment. He'd always liked to believe that there was an afterlife for animals, ever since his beloved cat, Mila, had passed away. It had given L no greater pleasure than to sit in a swivel chair in meetings with his back to the attendees, and then slowly spin to face the front, stroking the furry white cat in his lap. Mila had played her part excellently, L recalled, until Mello had force-fed her Cadbury's Fruit and Nut, thus killing her. L had been quietly devastated and Mello suitably penitent. L remembered consulting Mello as to whether animals went to Heaven (not that L believed in such fantasies). Mello had responded with an apologetic "no" because according to the Bible, cats apparently "don't have souls". L had gotten mad (in his own, unobtrusive way) at Mello for insulting Mila-chan's memory and henceforth decided to disregard Catholic teaching entirely and construct a shrine devoted to Mila. L was sure to include her water dish and litter tray among other articles that Mila would find essential in her next life. The overall impression was of an Ancient Egyptian memorial.

Returning to the task in hand, L fumbled for an excuse to save is beloved tennis racquet from a disgusting fate. "I suspect a badminton racquet would be of better use for this type of dispatch," L said cautiously, trying to distract Light from his original intention. "It has a much longer handle, is flatter and can..." L trailed off after noticing Light's expression, realising he was fighting a losing battle.

Light was having none of it. "You'll go and get me your racquet now, Ryuzaki, or you'll regret it later," Light threatened, folding his arms in a physical expression of finality. When L hesitated, Light said sweetly, "Or do you want a nice, flea-covered mouse snuggling up beside you in bed tonight?"

L gulped and hastily retrieved his prized, shiny blue tennis racquet, so lovingly polished, from under his desk. He threw it across the room to Light, with an air of sending one's child to the death, and he caught it by the handle. Light prepared himself, then kicked one of the boxes, causing it to topple over and spill paperwork everywhere. Eyes swiftly scanning the area around the boxes, he locked onto the little grey shape that was skimming nimbly over the papers. Light instantly slammed the racquet to the floor, squashing the mouse beneath.

There was silence in the room. Light carefully lifted up the tennis racquet and inspected what lay underneath. He made a face. "Ew. Mouse guts."

L whimpered softly when he thought about the state of his racquet. "Does it have blood on it?" he asked praying for a negative response.

Unfortunately, Light replied in the affirmative. "Just a little," Light said cheerfully, spinning it in his hand. "But at least we got rid of la souris!"

L buried his face in his hands and mumbled, "We could've just called Watari and he would have dealt with it."

"Oh, don't be so downhearted, Ryuzaki. You need to learn to do some things for yourself," Light said, throwing his arm around L's shoulders and walking towards their bedroom. "Think of this as a contribution to life experience," Light encouraged optimistically, "And at least now we can sleep in peace knowing that we're the only ones here," Light smiled. L deigned to take his head out of his hands and agree. Suddenly, both L and Light's faces fell as something small and suspiciously mousy-coloured shot across their path. "Hell, not another one!" Light exclaimed in horror.

Making a spur-of-the-moment decision, L sprinted into the bedroom, Light following suit, and hurriedly shut the door behind them. Light fumbled with the lock while L dialled Watari's number on his mobile. "Hello, Watari?" L asked, watching Light frantically cover the gap between the floorboards and the door with jeans and shirts. "It's L here. There's a mouse in the research room. Can you dispose of it, please? We would both be much obliged." He paused, listening hard. Then, "Thank you, Watari." L ended the call looking relieved.

"Well?" asked Light, standing up, having blocked the gap beneath the door.

"He's coming now," L replied, sounding contented. He sat down on his bed, hugging his knees as was customary.

"OK then. I guess there's nothing more we can do."

Light and L changed for bed. It was only as L was lying cocooned in his warm bed, listening to Light-kun's breathing, that he realised the missing factor: "Shit! I left my Aero Bubbles in the fridge!"

/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l \l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l /l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\l/l\/l\

A/N: Do you think L was a bit OOC? I think he was, slightly, but maybe I'm being paranoid. By the way, feedback i.e. reviews would be great.


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